Oil well testing device



April 25, 1944. E RAY R 2,347,281

OIL WELL "IES'IING DEVICE Filed 'Sept. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor A ttomey Patented Apr. 25, 1944 OIL WELL TESTING DEVICE George A. Raynor, Smithville, Tex., assignor of one-half to Charles L. Staub, Smithville, Tex.

Application September 3, 1941, Serial No. 409,401

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an oil well testing device, the general object of the invention being to provide means for enclosing a portion of a well from other portions with means for securing fluid in said portion and raising it to the surface without such fluid mixing? with fluids from said other portions.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims,

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a view in section of a well with the invention therein.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device forming the subject matter of the invention.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the parts in position for receiving the fluid from the packed off portion of the well.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the packing at the lower end of the device.

Figure 5 is a section on'the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6'6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a'view of the plunger member with parts broken away.

In these views the numeral I indicatesa barrel at the upper end of which is a sleeve 2 which is threadedly connected at its upper end into a coupling 3 which, in turn, is threadedly connected to a rod string 4. The sleeve 2 has an internally enlarged portion telescoped over the upper end of the barrel I. The lower end of the barrel I is internally recessed and accommodates a packing ring 5 interposed between a pair of metal rings 6, said rings being held in position by an annular nut I threaded into the lower end of the barrel and having wrench receiving openings 8 in its lower face. ternally threaded, as shown at 9, for turning into a threaded upper end of a tubular member ID which is adapted to engage the bottom of the well or to have other tubular members attached thereto to engage the bottom of the well if the one member is not sufiicient. The barrel I is provided with circumferentially spaced perforations l2 and below these perforations with packing means I3, while quite a distance above the per- I The lower end of the barrel I is exstantially right angles therefrom, these shanks passing through holes I8 in the barrel I and being pivoted to the walls of the holes by pins I9. Thus, in each packing means the shank extends into the barrel, with the annular packing member surrounding the barrel I and its inner circumference engaging the outer circumference of the barrel in a fluid tight manner so that the annular packing members can be raised and lowered. as the frames of the packing device pivot on the pivot pins I9.

A plunger member 2i is slidably arranged in the barrel and has a bore 22 extending longitudinally through the major portion thereof, said bore terminating short of the ends of the plunger. Holes 23 extend radially from the lower end of the bore through the sides of the plunger member and upwardly and outwardly sloping holes 24v extend from the upper end of the bore laterally through a downwardly tapering valve forming head 25 on the plunger extending above the barrel I and adapted to seat in a downwardly tapering seat 26 provided in the upper end of the sleeve 2. The lower end of the plunger member 2| extends downwardly through the barrel I and has threaded thereon a ring 2! below the nut I so that when the rod string 4 is lifted the valve head 25 on the plunger 2| will seat in the valve seat 26 in the sleeve 2 and the ring 21 will engage the lower face of the nut I threaded into the barrel I, thus preventing the sleeve 2 and the barrel I from falling apart. Recesses 28 in the plunger member 2| provide cam surfaces 29 for engaging the shanks or stems [1 when the plunger member is in lowered position so as to force the packing members I3 upwardly and outwardly to cause the outer circumferences of the resilient members I3 to engage side walls of the well, whereby said members will pack off an intermediate portion of the well from upper and lower portions thereof, as shown in Figure 1. By making the members I3 of resilient material, a fluid tight joint will be formed between the walls of the well and the barrel I.

As will be seen, when the device is being lowered into the well by means of the rod string 4 the barrel will move downwardly until it engages the ring 21. at the lower end of the plunger member and the weight of the plunger member will cause its valve head 25 to engage the valve seat 26 as shown in Figure 2. Then the cams 29 are free of the shanks or stems I1 so that the packing members I3 and [A will drop downwardly and be free of the walls of the well. The device is lowered until the lower end of the member I0 reaches the bottom of the well whereupon further movement of the part It] will cease but the rod string I will continue its downward movement relative to the barrel as the sleeve 2 telescopes downwardly over the upper end of the barrel. This will permit the plunger member 2| to drop and space the ring 2'! at the lower end of the plunger member from the nut ll. When the plunger member 2| drops it will engage the cams 29 with the stems or shanks I1 so as to force the members l3 and I4 outwardly into firm engagement with the walls of the well and thus the plunger member will be held in the position shown in Figure 3 with the members I 3 and I4 packing ofi that portion of the well between said members from the upper and lower portions of the well. Any fluid in this portion of the well will pass through the perforations I 2 and flow up the bore 22 and through the holes 24 and by the valve head into the sleeve and rod string 4, it being understood that this string is of tubular construction. Then the device is raised by pulling upwardly the string 4 and on the first part .of this movement the seat 26 will engage the valve head and then upward movement will cause the plunger to move upwardly with the string and the sleeve so as to release the packing members l3 and I4 from the walls of the well so that they will drop downwardly and further movement will cause the plunger .to have its ring 21 engage the lower end of the barrel and then the member ll] with the rest of the device may be lifted from the well.

If the flow of fluid has not been sufficient to pass from the upper end of the string 4 the fluid will be trapped in the barrel by the packing means 5 so that this fluid can be tested after the device has been raised to the surface.

Of course, by adding toor subtracting from the members 10 the barrel can be placed in different positions in the well to test various parts of the well.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to he understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A well testing device adapted to be interposed between upper and lower rod strings and for lowering and raising by the upper rod string, said device comprising a barrel provided intermediate the ends thereof with fluid inlet apertures therein, upper and lower packing members surrounding said barrel and positioned above and below said apertures, respectively, and pivotally mounted on said barrel for vertical swinging into and from packing positions, said members having operating levers extending into said barrel and downwardly movable to swing the members into packing position, means coupling said upper string to said barrel for limited upward and downward movement relative thereto and including a sleeve connected to the upper string, a downwardly tapered valve seat in said sleeve, the upper end of said barrel being slidably mounted in said sleeve below the valve seat to limit upward movement of said barrel relative to the upper rod string, a plunger member in said barrel, a downwardly tapered valve head on the upper end of said plunger to seat on said valve seat to limit downward movement of said plunger relative to the upper rod string, said barrel being slidably mounted on said plunger member, ring members on the lower ends of said plunger member and barrel coengageable to support said barrel on said plunger against the, influence of gravity tending to separate them, said plunger member being downwardly movable, said barrel under the influence of gravity and coincident with limited downward movement of said means, said barrel being connected to the lower rod string and remaining stationary after contact of the lower end of the lower rod string with the bottom of the well bore to allow the plunger to move downwardly relative thereto under the influence of gravity, and means on the plunger member for moving said levers downwardly as an incident to such downward movement of said plunger member to move the packing members outwardly relative to the barrel into packing engagement with the Well bore wall.

2. A well testing device adapted to be interposed between upper and lower rod strings and for lowering and raising by the upper rod string, said device comprising a barrel provided intermediate the ends thereof with fluid inlet apertures therein, upper and lower packing members surrounding said barrel and positioned above and below said apertures, respectively, and pivotally mounted on said barrel for vertical swinging into and from packing positions, said members having operating levers extending into said barrel and downwardly movable to swing the members into packing position, means coupling said upper string to said barrel for limited upward and downward movement relative thereto and including a sleeve connected to the upper string, a downwardly tapered valve seat in said sleeve, the upper end of said barrel being slidably mounted in said sleeve below the valve seat to limit upward movement of said barrel relative to the upper rod string, a plunger member in said barrel, a downwardly tapered valve head on the upper end of said plunger to seat on said valve seat to limit downward movement of said plunger relative to the upper rod string, said barrel being slidably mounted on said plunger member, ring members on the lower ends of said plunger mem ber and barrel coengageable to support said barrel on said plunger against the influence of gravity tending to separate them, said plunger member being downwardly movable, said barrel under the influence of gravity and coincident with limited downward movement of said means, said barrel being connected to the lower rod string and re maining stationary after contact of the lower end of the lower rod string with the bottom of the well bore to allow the plunger to move downwardly relative thereto under the influence of gravity, and means on the plunger member for moving said levers downwardly as an incident to such downward movement of said plunger member to move the packing members outwardly relative to the barrel into packing engagement with the well bore wall, said plunger member being ported and bored to pass liquid therethrough from an intermediate portion when said seat is moved clear of said head.

GEORGE A. RAYNOR. 

